Improvement in mailing-packages



W. B. PITTMAi. Mailing Package.

No. 204,603. Patented June 4, I878.

N-PHERS. FHOTCLLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. PITTMAN, OF VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

IM PROVEMENT IN MAILING-PACKAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,603, dated June 4, 1878; application filed April 23, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. PITTMAN, of Vicksburg, in the county of Warren and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Package for pulverulent substances; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is an edge view of the envelope with the flap-stiffener in section. Fig. 2 is an inside face view of Fig. 1, looking from right to left; Fig. 3, a transverse section of Fig. 2 through line a; m; Fig. 4, a back view of the package when the flap-stiffener is bent over and secured by the rubber band. Fig. 5 is the address-face of the package when secured.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and cheap package for mailing samples of flour, meal, plaster, cement, and other pulverulent substances, which package may be readily opened and inspected by the postmaster, and as readily and securely closed against any sifting out of the contents into the mail-bag.

To this end my invention consists in an envelope made of any suitable tough material, such as cloth-lined paper, having one end open, with a stiff piece of pasteboard secured to the folding edge of said open end, extending the full width of the envelope, so as to form a stiff flap which folds into the same plane with the body portion, and which flap, while bindin g the joint or corner to make it tight, at the same time afl'ords, by reason of its stiffness,

sufficient transverse resistance to permita transverse tying-cord or elastic rubber band to tightly secure the same without tearing the edges of the envelope.

In the drawing, A represents the envelope, which may be of any suitable shape or size, and constructed of any flexible material having sufficient toughness, as cloth-lined paper, for instance. One end of this envelope is made with a closed sharp edge, a, while the other end is left open, and its sides b b formed with an inward fold to render them expanding or collapsible to accommodate the envelope to different quantities of material. The

open end of the envelope is arranged to fold transversely at the line 0 0, so that both sides joint.

To hold the piece of pasteboard or flap-stiffener down adjacent to the body of the envelope, a rubber band, f, or tying-cord is passed transversely around the envelope at this point, and is kept from slipping off by notches g 9 formed in the flap-stiffener.

This flap-stifi'ener, it will be seen, not only permits the rubber band or cord to be secured about the flap sufficiently tight without cutting or tearing the envelope, but it re-enforees the corners of the envelope, and also, by reason of its hinged arrangement, causes the line of fold to be cramped to form a tighter joint.

I am aware that a paper bag has been heretofore constructed with a piece of stiff pasteboard secured to one side of its open end, which did not extend throughout the full transverse dimensions of the bag, but was designed when folded simply to form a stiff end wall to the bag at right angles to the sides, and I therefore confine my invention to a bag or package having a stiffening-flap extending the full width of the bag or package, and arranged to be folded into the same plane with the body portion of the envelope, whereby the folded edge is adapted to be secured by a transverse band or cord without tearing the edges of the envelope.

What I claim is- An envelope having a flap-stiffener secured to one side of its open end, and extending the full width of the envelope, and arranged to fold over with the edges of the envelope into the same plane with the body portion, and be secured by a transverse band or cord, substantially as described.

WILLIAM B. PITTMAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN X. FOLEY, STANTON B. PiTrMAN. 

